Draft rigging



April 23, 1935.

F. G. sucKow DRAFT RIGGING Filed Jan. 26, 1932 I //I n 6 Patented Apr. 23, 1935 s 1,998,468

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE DRAFT RIGGING Frederick G. Suckow, Bowmansville, N. Y., as-

signor to The Gould Coupler Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland Application January 26, 1932, Serial No. 588,967

4 Claims. (01. 213-39) This invention relates to draft rigging and, The surfaces 6 and 8 preferably involve laterally more particularly, to a friction draft gear adaptoffset portions providing shoulders 9 thereed for use with existing tandem spring cheek between which serve for limiting outward movep 7 ment of the wedges l with respect to the housing The principal object of my invention, generally after said wedges have been assembled thereconsidered, is the provision of a double-end draft with.

gear comprising a housing receiving friction ele- In the present embodiment, I employ a single ments actuated transversely by plate springs and group of curved plate springs I!) for actuating urged longitudinally to release positions by comeach pair of friction elements or wedges 1, this 10 men spring meansdisposed therebetween. being possible because the travel provided for 10 Another object of my invention is the provision the wedges in the preferred embodiment disof a draft gear or cushioning device comprising closed is only approximately half the normal a housing open at both ends and of a size adapted wedge travel for friction draft gears of the type for use with existingtandem. spring cheek plates, disclosed. For the same reason, I am able to said housing being provided with lugs adapted to employ a single release spring unit I comprising 15 straddle the intermediate lugs of said cheek an outer helical spring l2 and an inner helical plates and limit movement of said housing in spring 13, the ends of which engage intermediate both directions, friction elements engaging said followers I 4 which, in turn,.act on the inner or adhousing at both ends and urged transversely into jacent ends 15 of the wedges'or friction elements I.

99 frictional engagement therewith by curved plate The gear 3 may be mounted between the front I springs, said gear being adapted to release, under follower; l6 and a rear follower 15, which folthe action of common spring means disposed belowers normally re p c ly engage t front tween intermediate followers which, in turn, endraft lug portions ll of the cheek plates 2 and gage the adjacent ends of said friction elements. the rear draft lug portions l8 of said check plates.

Other objects and advantages of the invention T housing Casing 4 f t a 3 isvpreferebly relating to the particular arrangement and connotched or decreased in width at itsintermestruction of the various parts. will become apdiate portion to clear the intermediate draft lugs parent as the description proceeds. l9 of the cheek plates 2, leaving lugportions 20 Referring to the drawing illustrating my inand 2| forwardly and rearwardly of said.inter- 34) vention, the scope whereof is defined by. the apmediate cheek pla e portions normally d pended claims:- v posed in straddling relation therewith, and Figure 1 is a plan of draft rigging and assospaced the requisite distance therefrom to act ciated cushioning mechanism embodying my inin pp t us Wh e gear 3 has been vention. fully compressed. The lug portions 20 and 2| Figure 2 is a partial side elevation and partial desirably project beyond the widened end p 35 vertical section of the cushioning mechanism 5 of the housing beyond the inner Surfaces shown in Figure 1. of the front and rear intermediate or limiting Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan of the mechastops a d d have s a dimension, n sm illustrated in Figure 2. gitudinally of the housing, that they normally lie 40 Referring to the drawing in detail, like parts midway b e e n r ate s 9 a 40 being designated by like referenoecharacters, the 51301 5 a d '8', With mal spacing corthere is shown a pair of draft or center sills I, respondinsw the p c between e followers to the inner surfaces of which are connected 1 and '1 n the Corresponding the cheek plates 2 of the type adapted for tandem The Wider end portions of the hOUSing spring draft gears (see, for example, the T, H provide friction surfaces of increased width, as Symington Patent, NO 1,373, 33 of May 17 1921 compared with the notched portion, for engage- In the present instance, instead of employing m with correspondingly W d r ct eletandem spring draft gears with cheek plates, I, mentS use a friction draft gear 3 comprising a housing In the present embodiment, there is shown a 4 open at both ends and provided with walls 5, vertical yoke 22 embracing e gear 3 a d 50 the inner surfaces of which provide inclined lowers l6 and i6, and connected to a drawbar friction surfaces 6. Friction elements or wedges or coupler stem 23 by means of a horizontal draft I are received in each end of the housing 4 and key 24, the ends of which pass through slots in have correspondingly inclined friction surfaces and are supported by the sills I.

8 engaging the friction surfaces 6 on the housing. From the foregoing disclosure, taken in oonnec- 55 tion with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have devised a double-end nonselective travel draft gear for use with existing tandem spring cheek plates, the friction elements at each end of which are urged to released position by a single helical spring unit disposed therebetween. This construction, as well as the employment of a. single group of leaf springs at each end between the corresponding friction elements or wedges is possible by virtue of dividing the compressive movement of the gear between the two ends of the housing instead of concentrating such movement at a single end.

When the coupler 23 is subjected to the action of draft forces, the yoke 22 pulls the rear follower l6 forwardly, forcing the rear wedges 1 into the housing 4 and simultaneously moving the housing forwardly over the front wedges T which are stopped by the front followers IS. The parts are preferably designed so that upon full compression of the gear on draft the front of the housing 4 engages the front follower 6 simultaneously with the engagement between the lugs 21 on the housing and the intermediate lugs if) on the cheek plates 2 and the engagement between the lugs 29 and the front intermediate stops i1.

When the coupler 23 is subjected to buffing forces, it urges the front follower I6 rearwardly, pushing the front wedges l into the housing 4 and simultaneously moving the housing rearwardly over the rear wedges 1 against the rear follower 16. The parts are preferably designed so that the lugs 20 on the housing engage the lugs I!) on the cheek plates simultaneously with the engagement between the rear end of the housing and the rear follower l l and the engagement between the lugs 2| and the rear intermediate stops [8.

Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims and that the terms employed are used for descriptive and not limiting purposes.

I claim:

1. In railway draft rigging, in combination with draft sills, cheek plates attached to said sills and providing a pocket defined by front and rear draft lugs, intermediate draft lugs in said pocket, cushioning mechanism mounted between said sills and comprising a unitary housing open at both ends, said housing being notched at the sides, thereby forming shoulders on opposite sides of said intermediate draft lugs, normally spaced therefrom, and adapted to engage therewith on the limit of movement in either buff or draft, the end portions of the housing being extended laterally beyond the notched portions to pro vide friction surfaces of increased width, friction elements in each extended end portion, actuating springs located in the notched portion of said housing, and followers'normally engaging said friction elements at opposite ends of said cushioning mechanism and said front and rear draft lugs, yoke-acting means embracing said cushioning mechanism and followers, and a drawbar connected to said yoke-acting means.

2. In railway draft rigging, in combination with draft sills, cheek plates attached to said sills and providing a pocket defined by front and rear draft lugs, intermediate draft lugs in said pocket, and front and rear intermediate stops disposed respectively, between the front draft lugs and intermediate draft lugs, and between said intermediate draft lugs and rear draft lugs, cushioning mechanism mounted between said sills and comprising a unitary housing open at both ends, said housing being notched at the sides, thereby forming shoulders on opposite sides of said intermediate draft lugs, normally spaced therefrom, and adapted to engage therewith on the limit of movement in either buff or draft, the end portions of the housing being extended laterally beyond the notched portion to provide friction surfaces of increased width, parts of said housing being extended laterally beyond the widened end portions, between said intermediate draft lugs and front and rear intermediate stops, and normally spaced from said lugs and stops, friction elements in each end portion, actuating springs therefor located in the notched portion of said housing, and followers normally engaging said friction elements at opposite ends of said cushioning mechanism and said front and rear draft lugs, yoke-acting means embracing said cushioning mechanism and followers, and a drawbar connected to said yoke-acting means.

3. Cushioning mechanism comprising a unitary housing notched at its sides, thereby forming shoulders adapted to lie on opposite sides of intermediate draft lugs on associated cheek plates in spaced relation with respect thereto, the end portions of the housing being extended laterally beyond the notched portion to provide friction surfaces of increased width, friction elements in each extended end portion, and actuating springs located in the notched portion of said housing.

4. Cushioning mechanism comprising a unitary housing notched at the sides, thereby forming shoulders facing one another, and adapted to alternately engage associated draft lugs dis- FREDERICK G. SUCKOW. 

